 "‘Ridiculous lie’: Venezuela slams US over ‘Cartel de los Soles’ terror tag")
Venezuela has called the US’s terrorist designation of an alleged drug cartel on its territory a “ridiculous lie”, aimed at paving the way for an “illegitimate” military intervention and a way of kicking President Nicolas Maduro out of power.
The Trump administration officially declared a Venezuelan group called ‘Cartel de los Soles’ a terrorist organisation on Monday, despite doubts over its existence. The move was the latest in Washington’s efforts to combat the South American drug problem, which President Donald Trump claims is “ruining the lives of Americans.”
Venezuela’s foreign ministry has rejected what it called “the new and ridiculous lie from Secretary of State Marco Rubio”, which it said aimed “to justify an illegitimate and illegal intervention against Venezuela.”
The US has deployed the world’s largest aircraft carrier and other military forces to waters near Venezuela as part of a stated campaign to dismantle Latin American drug trafficking routes.
The Trump administration claims that the Cartel of the Suns is a drug trafficking syndicate run by Maduro and has issued a $50 million reward for the president’s capture.
Europe concerned
The increasing military buildup in the Caribbean has raised alarm not only in Venezuela but also among European countries, with France and the Netherlands joining the UK in limiting intelligence sharing with Washington.
In an open letter, left-wing European politicians, including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Greece’s former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis and Labour MP Richard Burgon, warned of “the imminent threat of US military intervention in Venezuela.”
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View All“If the US launches a military intervention in Venezuela, it would mark the first interstate war by the United States in South America,” the group wrote.
Top US official to visit Trinidad and Tobago
On Tuesday, the top US military officer, Dan Caine, will visit the small Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, a US ally situated a few miles from Venezuela that recently hosted US troops for training exercises.
The US embassy said that the visit by the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff would focus on “countering illicit trafficking and transnational criminal organizations.”
The visit is part of a months-long campaign of maximum pressure on Maduro, whose reelection last year was widely dismissed by the international community as fraudulent.
With inputs from agencies
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